Page 425 - War Conflict
Take strongest possible action against Pak troops involved in jawan's killing: Rajanth to BSF
Home Minister Rajnath Singh has told the Border Security Force (BSF) to take strongest possible action against the Pakistani troops, who slit a BSF jawan's throat along the International Border near Jammu, officials said Thursday. This was conveyed to the top brass of the border guarding force which is deployed along the highly volatile Indo-Pak border. The home minister told top officials of the BSF in no uncertain terms that the strongest possible action should be taken against the Pakistani troops involved in Tuesday's incident, a home ministry official, privy to the development, said. The BSF jawan's throat was slit and his body bore multiple bullet injuries. The missing trooper was found killed by Pakistani troops in the Jammu region, in a first-of-its-kind barbaric act against Indian forces along the International Border. Another official said the BSF is expected to take some "pro-active" action against the Pakistan Rangers to "avenge" the mutilation of the jawan's body. The ...
On the eve of Muharram, Nitish pays rich tributes to Hazrat
On the eve of the mourning of Muharram, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Thursday urged the people of the state to draw inspiration from Hazrat Imam Hussain and his associates who had attained martyrdom in Karbala. In a solemn tribute to Hazrat Imam Hussain and the 72 martyrs, Kumar said "they shall always be remembered for their fight against injustice and tyranny". He appealed to the people of the state to "remember the sacrifices of Hazrat Imam, imbibe the ideals of truth, humanity and charity and remain ever ready to fight against evil, injustice and terror", an official release said. The CM also urged the people to approach the tenth day of Muharram in a spirit of harmony and brotherhood. Muharram is considered as one of the sacred months of the Islamic lunar calendar. The battle of Karbala, in which Hussain - the grandson of the Prophet - had attained martyrdom - is said to have been taken place on this date in the 7th century.
1 dead, 4 wounded in roadside ambush in southern Thailand
Suspected insurgents killed one person and wounded four others in a roadside ambush in southern Thailand, a region where a Muslim separatist rebellion has been active for more than a decade, police said Thursday. Also on Thursday, a court convicted two men of involvement in the May 2017 car bombing of a busy shopping center in Pattani province in which 61 people were hurt when the building was partly blown apart. The men, charged with attempted premeditated murder and use of bombs, were given the death penalty, but the penalty was commuted to life in prison because they confessed. Police Capt. Sanguansak Kaewmoon said an unknown number of gunmen used assault rifles to open fire Wednesday on a pickup truck carrying seven people returning from a hunting trip in Yala province. The ambush left the truck riddled with bullet holes. Police suspect the assault was carried out by Muslim separatists who have been conducting a low-level but deadly insurgency in Thailand's three southernmost ...
Burkina region bans night-time motorbikes in anti-jihadist move
The troubled Sahel state of Burkina Faso has banned night-time use of motorcycles in an eastern region plagued by hit-and-run raids by jihadist rebels. "Road traffic between towns and villages in the region is strictly forbidden to travellers on two- or three-wheeled vehicles between 7:00 pm and 5:00 am until further notice," the governor of the Eastern Region, Colonel Ousmane Traore, said in a statement late Wednesday. Cars, buses and trucks will not be subjected to the ban but "will be subjected to strict and rigorous controls," he said. Traore also said mines used by subsistence gold miners -- who often use home-made explosives to remove earth -- would be temporarily closed as a security measure. Islamist attacks on Burkina Faso began in 2015, starting with cross-border incursions in the north but then spreading to the east. The east has seen a string of attacks this year on patrols using improvised explosive devices, in addition to night-time raids by motorbike on remote villages.
Uganda's pop star MP 'taken away' by security officers
Ugandan pop star turned opposition MP Robert Kyagulanyi was taken away by security officers upon arrival at the country's international airport Thursday, his wife Barbie told AFP. "After landing at Entebbe, security surrounded him and took him away. We are not sure where they are taking him," she said. Kyagulanyi, 36 and better known as singer Bobi Wine, had been seeking medical treatment in the United States. He says he was tortured in custody after being arrested last month. The pop star turned opposition firebrand was charged with treason alongside more than 30 others after President Yoweri Museveni's motorcade was stoned by opposition supporters. His American lawyer, Robert Amsterdam, said on Twitter that his client had "again been unlawfully detained" upon arrival in Uganda. Uganda's police chief, Martin Okoth Ochola, insisted that Kyagulanyi "is not under arrest". "What we have done is to escort him from Entebbe airport to his home," he told AFP. "We are under obligation to ..
Security tight as Uganda awaits pop star MP's return
Ugandan security personnel were deployed on the streets of the capital and they controlled the roads leading to the international airport on Thursday, ahead of the return of MP Robert Kyagulanyi, better known as singer Bobi Wine. Kyagulanyi, 36, has been seeking medical treatment in the US for injuries he claims were sustained while allegedly being tortured in custody following his arrest last month. The pop star-turned-opposition firebrand was charged with treason, alongside more than 30 others, after President Yoweri Museveni's motorcade was stoned by opposition supporters. Since entering parliament last year, Kyagulanyi has emerged as a leading critic of Museveni, a 74-year-old former rebel leader in charge since 1986. He was due back in Uganda early Thursday afternoon. Riot police and soldiers were deployed in Kampala and access to the airport, 40 kilometres from Kampala, was tightly controlled by checkpoints and road closures. In a statement issued Wednesday, Ugandan police ...
Afghan official: Taliban attacks kill 5 in central province
An Afghan official says the Taliban have carried out a series of coordinated attacks in central Ghazni province, killing five members of the security forces. Arif Noori, a spokesman for the provincial governor, said three security outposts in Ab Band district were attacked by insurgents in coordinated raids on Thursday morning. Two policemen were wounded in the attacks that lasted several hours as security personnel and insurgents exchanged gunfire. Noori said six Taliban fighters were killed and four were wounded before the attacks were repelled. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement that the Taliban captured a district in Ghazni. Insurgents often exaggerate their battlefield gains. Also on Thursday, police officer Amin Jan said a roadside bomb wounded five people in eastern Nangarhar province.
UGC asks varsities to celebrate September 29 as 'Surgical Strike Day'
The University Grants Commission (UGC) on Thursday directed varsities and higher educational institutions across the country to observe September 29 as "Surgical strike day". Talk-sessions by ex-servicemen about sacrifices by the armed forces, special parades, visit to exhibitions and sending greeting cards to pledge their support for armed forces, are among the activities prescribed by the commission for the celebrations. "The NCC units of all universities should organise a special parade on September 29 after which the NCC commander shall address them on the modalities of protection of the borders. The varsities may organise a talk-session calling ex-servicemen to sensitise students about sacrifices made by the armed forces," the UGC said in a communication to all Vice Chancellors on Thursday. "A multimedia exhibition will be organised around India Gate on September 29. Similar exhibitions may be organised in states, union territories, important towns and cantonments across the ...
Boko Haram kills nine villagers in NE Nigeria: militia
Nine people were killed and nine others injured when Boko Haram fighters raided two villages in northeast Nigeria, the civilian militia said on Thursday. Jihadists in pickup trucks attacked Kalari Abdiye and nearby Amarwa, some 20 kilometres (12 miles) from Borno state capital Maiduguri, on Wednesday evening. "The gunmen, who were obviously Boko Haram fighters, killed nine people and injured nine more in the attacks," Ibrahim Liman, from the Civilian Joint Taskforce (CJTF) told AFP. "They attacked the villages around 8:30 pm (1930 GMT) when it was raining and people were indoors." Frightened residents rushed out of their homes but when they did so they were shot "indicriminately", said another CJTF leader, Babakura Kolo. "The two villages were completely burnt by the attackers," he added, giving a similar toll. Both villages are in Konduga, a district of Borno state that has suffered repeated attacks in a nine-year insurgency which has left more than 27,000 dead. Last December six ..
Gunfight erupts in Jammu and Kashmir
A gunfight erupted between militants and the security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Bandipora district on Thursday, police said.
Encounter breaks out between security forces and militants in J&K's Bandipora
An encounter broke out between the security forces and militants in the forest area of Bandipora district, Jammu and Kashmir Thursday, police said. No casualties have been reported in the incident, an official said. Following information about presence of militants, security personnel launched a cordon and search operation in the forests of Sumlar area in the district, he said. The search operation turned into an encounter after militants opened fire at positions of the security forces, an official said.
Where is PM Modi's 56-inch chest, asks Surjewala on BSF jawan's mutilation
Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala on Thursday made a sharp attack at Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the brutal killing of a Border Security Force (BSF) jawan Narendra Singh by Pakistani forces.Speaking to ANI, Surjewala said, "First Hemraj, and now Narendra Singh, has been tortured, tormented and murdered by Pakistan yesterday. Soldiers are the souls of our nation. Our nation's soul was tortured for nine hours yesterday. Where is Modi ji today? Does it not shock your conscience Modi ji? Where is your 56-inch chest?"The body of the BSF Head Constable, who went missing after an unprovoked firing by Pakistan in Jammu's Ramgarh sector on September 18, was found with multiple bullet injuries on his torso, even on his neck, on Wednesday.Last year, the Pakistani forces had killed two Indian soldiers and mutilated their bodies after carrying out unprovoked rocket and mortar firing on two forward posts on the Line of Control in the Krishna Ghati sector. The deceased soldiers were ...
Ex-PM Najib Razak faces new corruption charges in Malaysia
Police and Malaysia's anti-graft agency say detained former Prime Minister Najib Razak will face at least two dozen fresh charges of abuse of power and money laundering over the multimillion-dollar looting of a state investment fund. Najib will be brought to court Thursday. Police have taken custody of him after he was detained by the anti-graft agency Wednesday over the transfer of $681 million into his bank account. National deputy police chief Noor Rashid Ibrahim said 21 of the charges involve the receiving, using and transferring of illicit funds. The anti-graft agency said Najib will face charges under a section of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act that involves abuse of power. Najib pleaded not guilty to earlier charges against him and his trial is due to start next year.
Colombia guerillas release kidnapped minor
Leftist ELN guerillas freed a teenager on Wednesday who was kidnapped two weeks before in northwestern Colombia, the country's ombudsman said. The rebels handed the girl over to a commission from the ombudsman's office, after abducting her on September 7 from her home in Orupa, in the jungle region of Choco. A National Liberation Army (ELN) rebel fighter by the name of Comandante Uriel, who heads the regional guerrillas, said in a message sent to journalists on Saturday that the teen was kidnapped because she was "an armed forces informant," and that she would be released after "routine procedures." The government believes the ELN -- Colombia's last guerrilla force with about 1,500 fighters -- is holding around 10 hostages. President Ivan Duque, who took office on August 7 promising to take a hardline against the ELN guerrillas, maintains that in order to resume peace talks the rebels must release all their hostages and end "all criminal activities." The ELN is seeking a deal similar .
Troops of Indian, US army participate in Yudh Abhyas 2018
On the fourth day of Yudh Abhyas 2018, the troops of Indian and the United States army participated in a battle obstacle course, rock and ice craft wall, room intervention and unarmed combat.A joint military exercise between the armies of both the countries commenced on September 16 at the foothills of Chaubattia in Uttarakhand and it will conclude on September 29.The 14th edition of the exercise "Yudh Abhyas", which is hosted alternately by the two countries, kicked off with a short yet impressive ceremony that saw the unfurling of the national flags of both the countries to the strains of "Jana Gana Mana" and "The Star-Spangled Banner".While the Indian contingent was represented by an Infantry Battalion of the Congo Brigade, Garud Division, Surya Command, and a Central Command, their US counterpart was represented by the 1st Infantry Battalion and the 23 Infantry Regiment, 2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 7 Infantry Division, US Army.General Officer Commanding, Garud Division, in his .
Palestinian teen shot dead by Israeli fire in Gaza border clashes: ministry
A Palestinian teenager was shot dead by Israeli fire in clashes near the border in southern Gaza Thursday, the health ministry in the enclave said. The ministry said Mumin Abu Ayeda, 15, was shot along the heavily-fortified border east of Rafah in southern Gaza. It said he was part of night time demonstrations which have taken place over months of protests, dubbed the Great March of Return. There was no immediate confirmation from the Israeli army, which typically highlights the often violent nature of such demonstrations and labels them riots. At least 184 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in Gaza since the 'Great March' protests began on March 30. One Israeli soldier was shot dead by a Palestinian sniper. Protests have lessened in intensity in recent months, though smaller demonstrations continue. On Tuesday two Palestinians were shot dead during violent protests next to the Erez crossing into Israel. Demonstrators are calling to be allowed to return to the homes their ..
Somali officials: Airstrike kills or hurts several of al-Shabab group
Several senior officials with the al-Shabab extremist group have been killed or wounded in an airstrike in southern Somalia, Somali intelligence officials said Thursday, while the al-Qaida-linked group and a resident said children were among the dead. The intelligence officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to talk to the media said the overnight airstrike hit a training school and nearby hospital in Sakow, a town in Middle Jubba region. They said those targeted include longtime commander Hassan Yaqub. It was not clear who carried out the strike. The US Africa Command, which has carried out more than 20 airstrikes in Somalia this year, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Neighboring Kenya also has carried out airstrikes against al-Shabab, the deadliest Islamic extremist group in sub-Saharan Africa. And over the weekend neighboring Ethiopia's state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting Corporate reported that Ethiopia's air force killed .
Imran Khan, Abu Dhabi crown prince discuss bilateral ties
Dubai, Sep 20 (IANS/WAM) Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, crown prince of Abu Dhabi and deputy supreme commander of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Armed Forces, met Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday, discussing enhancing of bilateral ties.
Clash between two communities over desecration in Ranchi, two cops injured
A clash broke out between two communities in Kumhartoli area here Wednesday over alleged desecration of place of worship, police said At least two policemen suffered minor injuries while clashing groups hurled stones at each other, a police release said. The clash broke out following some tension for the last three days over alleged desecration of a place of worship, they said. The injured policemen were sent to Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences for treatment. At least half a dozen persons were detained for questioning, the police said. The police are camping at the place.
PM Modi raises concerns about missing Indians with Ghani
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday expressed concerns about the seven missing Indians with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, as per sources.Ghani, in turn, assured the Prime Minister that he was personally looking into the matter.Seven Indian engineers were abducted in the restive northern Baghlan province of Afghanistan in May this year. The Indian engineers of KEC International, an RPG group company, were working on a project for the construction of a power sub-station in the country.Afghan media, quoting Baghlan governor Abdulhai Nemati, reported that Taliban militants were behind the abduction of Indians and they were moved to the Dand-e-Shahabuddin area of Pul-e-Khumri city.This is not the first case of abduction of Indians.Two years back an Indian worker, Judith D'Souza, was abducted in Afghanistan and was later released with the help of the Afghanistan government.